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Iconographic Meaning

Red, black and white are common colours for a Kolam animal mask (Goonatelleka, 1978:74). Black and red are also demonic masks colours. The black face, red gums, canine teeth, hanging tongue and protruding eyes of this mask suggest that it might also have been used as an animal apparition of a demon (Sarachchandra, 1966:26).

Cultural Context

exorcism

History Of Use

The Kolam is a secular entertainment with considerable elements of social satire. It incorporates narrative, mime, dance, and music. A Kolam performance usually has four episodes the precise content of which may vary. These consist of a prelude, detailing the origin of the drama; the arrival of a royal party and dances by characters mythical, human and animal; enactment of a popular story or stories; and a purifying demon dance. This animal mask would appear in the second or third stage of the performance.

Description

Mask representing a wolf head (this is a type of theatrical Kolam mask) with a black face, a long narrow snout, open mouth with red lips and pointed red teeth, bulging eyes with red-rimmed black pupils, and red nostrils. One protruding black and red ear remains nailed the the left side of the animal's head. One longer canine tooth in lower left side of jaw. Flexible red rubber tongue tip and segment of tongue have broken off the end of the remaining piece of tongue that is nailed to the inside of the lower jaw. The upper and lower jaws are wired together on each side with two equidistant vertical stitches. Cotton string is looped through a hole in the top of the head at the back edge and the ends of the string tied together.